Ford Raptor vs Chevy K10: What's It Like To Daily Drive a Classic Truck?
The Fast Lane Truck:
Rescuing Richard From Lone Wolf Mountain | Top Gear | Series 22 | BBC
Top Gear:
Is Chevy Building A Silverado ZRX To Beat The Raptor? + 2020 Powertrain Updates - Truck News
AmericanTrucks Chevy & GMC:
Hey, guys.
Adam here with americantrucks.com.
And today, we've got some hot-off-the-press
news coming straight from Chevy Performance.
There may be a new beefy off-road Silverado
ZRX model that could potentially be a competitor
for the Ford Raptor and I have some availability
updates to the 6.2-liter and 10-speed options
as well as some diesel news.
So let's jump right into it now.
Now Chevy announced earlier today via their
Chevrolet Performance Instagram that the Silverado
will be joining The Best In The Desert off-road
racing series using a beefed-up version of
their already pretty capable Trail Boss model,
which could actually be a prototype for the
rumored 2022 Silverado ZRX.
Now, if you're not familiar with this race,
The Best In The Desert competition is an off-road
racing series that takes place all over the
U.S.
This racing series is absolutely brutal on
a truck, putting it through extremely rigorous
courses over many miles in each event.
Now Chevy entered their extremely capable
Colorado ZR2 model a few years ago and actually
took home first place in the 550-mile race
from Las Vegas to Reno, Nevada, finishing
in just over 14 hours.
So the Silverado that's taking part in this
event is essentially a souped-up Trail Boss
with the Colorado ZR2 suspension and other
upgrades, which I'll touch on in just a minute.
Now keep in mind the Trail Boss is beefed
up version of the LTZ, meant to handle the
trails.
The Trail Boss that's running in this event
has even more upgrades to handle the crazier
terrain like that of The Best In The Desert
event.
Now this is why there's a lot of speculation
around this actually being the prototype for
the rumored 2022 ZRX model.
The prototype is going to boast the Colorado
ZR2's multimatic dynamic suspensions spool
valve or DSSM dampers that are meant to handle
extreme driving conditions.
It'll also get 35-inch off-road or mud-terrain
tires, a tough front skid plate, and specifically
designed rear shock skids.
Could this be the Raptor's competitor that
we've been wanting?
Hopefully, this prototype will give us some
clues.
In their announcement via Instagram, they
used the hashtag SEMA 2019, so maybe we'll
see this prototype on the showroom floor next
month.
It's also rumored that the 2022 ZRX model
may have extras but the prototype running
at this event does not yet have.
The future ZRX model may have front and rear
electronic locking differentials and possibly
redesigned front and rear bumpers for better
clearance.
Front approach and rear exit angles are said
to be redesigned with that front and rear
bumper and I'd be surprised if they weren't
already on that prototype before the race.
Shortly after GM filed for the ZRX trademark,
Fox Racing filed for a similar trademark to
use on custom pickups which alludes to a potentially
Fox-equipped Silverado ZRX.
It would be really nice to see this truck
hold up against the Raptor and the Ram's rumored
Rebel TRX.
As of right now, however, the ZRX Silverado
is still said to have the 6.2 V8 with 420
horsepower, which is a little short of the
Raptor's 460 horsepower.
Now fingers crossed that the ZRX gets rowdy
enough to compete with a twin-turbo Raptor
but as of right now, it's only a rumor.
In other news, there are more changes to the
Silverado lineup for 2020 including the new
3.0 Duramax diesel available in the LT, RST,
LTZ and High Country models with 277 horsepower
and 460 torque.
Now Chevy claims that 95% of that torque arrives
at just over the 1200 RPM limit and the peak
torque comes in at 1500 RPMs sustained until
3000 RPMs, pretty impressive.
The 2020 Silverado custom will also be available
with the 2.7 turbo-diesel paired with an 8-speed
automatic transmission.
Well, guys, that's the news I have for you
today.
Some really exciting stuff coming down the
pipe from Chevy.
Drop a comment below and let us know how you're
feeling about the all-new ZRX rumors.
And of course, subscribe to the YouTube channel
for all Silverado news, products and content.
Keep it right here at americantrucks.com.
Old vs New: 2014 Ford Raptor vs 1985 Chevy K10 vs Gold Mine Hill - Big Green Ep.2
The Fast Lane Truck:
2018 Ford Raptor - Hennessey VelociRaptor 6x6
Cars.com:
we're here at the 2017 SEMA show where
wild and crazy is the name of the game
and we found something very cool by John
Hennessy now Hennessy is about
performance and speed but this time he's
done something a little crazy as well
and it's called the Velociraptor 600
horsepower underneath the hood still has
the 3.5 liter EcoBoost engine but he's
modified and tuned it to the point where
it's really putting out tons of power
and torque in fact I think it's 520
foot-pounds of torque
it's got about a 7 inch lift all the way
around
it's got 37 inch Toyo tires custom front
and rear bumpers but 6x6 so it's a six
wheel drive two rear drive shafts two
axles one set of leaf springs that
control those axles along with drag
links on the front and the rear
Fox Racing shocks
and a very impressive 8-foot bed to make
this probably one of the most unique
pickups available now this one that
you're looking at right now is about
350,000 dollars unless you want the
brake upgrade kit which costs you
another twenty two thousand dollars now
if you're going to play in this area
then you better have a lot of money but
you know you're going to have something
very unique in fact Hennessey tells us
he's only going to make 50 of these
trucks so it's going to be very
exclusive this is going to be a very
small private club you get to be a part
of if you can afford something like this
for more information go to pickup trucks
calm
you
The $350,000 Hennessey VelociRaptor 6x6
THE DRIVE:
In 1961, with the country locked in an
urgent space race against the Soviet
Union, NASA chose Houston as the site for
its new manned spacecraft center and the
training ground for its brand-new
astronaut corps. Those with the fabled
"right stuff" would wind up here under the
South Texas sun preparing to pilot the
most powerful vehicles known to man. So
it's only fitting that we find ourselves
back in the shadow of modern spaceflight
to test this latest slice of audacious
Americana:
the Hennessey Velociraptor 6x6
We're here at Hennessey performance
with Jason Gigley the lead fabricator,
the metallurgic sorcerer the master of
this domain and he's gonna tell us
exactly what they did to the engine of
the 6x6 Velociraptor. -- We take the small
intercooler from Ford, toss it for the
big air-to-air intercooler big blow-off
valve a huge cold air intake a Borla
exhaust and then it's the stock
transmission as well -- a surprising amount
of stock parts on this truck considering
what it is a 6x6 what it is a Ford
Raptor -- it's still a raptor -- and it's
really impressive how you look at it
from this angle and it would just seem
like a regular Ford Raptor -- my favorite
parts about yeah it's like it's like
it's just like oh another afternoon like
"look surprise"
So they tricked out the engine gave it
about 600 horsepower which is a bump up
from 450 in the stock model that is
noticeable you definitely feel an
acceleration the whole modifications
that they added the extra axle the
longer bed the lift kit the bigger tires
it all adds up to about 800 pounds and
over the stock weight so it does need
that extra power to give it and and
trust me they're working and making it
even more powerful because it's never
enough for John Hennessey
but obviously the magic of this truck is
in its name six by six six wheels that
third axle is not nearly as noticeable
as I thought it would be looking at the
truck you think this is gonna drive like
a frickin tank and you know it does feel
heavy it's sixty seven hundred pounds or
so you ever take a couple hundred it
you're gonna feel besides you're gonna
feel the heft at the same time the
engineering that they did at normal
driving speeds it feels like any other
stock pickup
take me through exactly what it what it
takes to turn a regular Raptor into this
six wheeled beast from a fabrication
standpoint so we start we put the put
the factory your app there all it on a
lift
put a six-inch fabtech lift kit on the
front damn with the extra inch coil over
blocks to get about seven inches take
the bed off yep just take every single
thing go so so it's basically a
completely disassembled back-end that
you then extend and rebuild from scratch
yes then we take it off the lift take it
back to the behind the curtain or the
secret corner and that's where the magic
it is that you're the sorcerer it is
magic we cut the frame off like right
here then we add exactly thirty inches
right to there and then we put the back
half of the frame back on the front axle
which is a custom Ford nine-inch it has
a pass-through differential means of the
drive shaft comes hooks up to it and
then there's another smaller drive shaft
that goes to the other one so what it
has is a inverted leaf spring mm-hmm set
right in the middle so the axles are out
on the end of the lease papers got it
probably way overdue I know down the
road
nothing's ever gonna happen it was weld
there yeah and you guys came up with the
the fender design the way it would have
to just go straight like that the
measurements that was all yeah yeah yeah
we just you know we just figured there's
there's just enough room there is base
for the open enough room and then you
know the corners which I think that's
the lore of it
I cannot believe I'm driving a six
wheeled Ford Raptor right now what's
even crazier is that it because it
started out as a brand new twenty
eighteen Ford Raptor it smells like a
brand new car in here and yet it may be
the furthest thing from a stock pickup
that you'll find and yet strangely the
ride it's a little firmer than a regular
Ford Raptor but you can't really tell
that you're hauling around an extra axle
back there and that you've got six
wheels doing all the work so it just
feels like a normal pickup truck right
it's it's it is hilarious it's just like
uh who makes this
the leaf spring being mounted to this
you can basically say if this was the
axle of the vehicle yeah that's what I
mean this looks like special this is
exactly what you know yeah this is all
custom fabrication to because this is
the frame and that you can take this
this is the actual stock location of the
shotgun Wow from right right here is
where we cut the frame right like it
never even happened never even happened
add just 30 inches put the backpack on
mm-hm
you know then we got plates inside and
then we put a whole plate you know if
the frame is definitely over killed for
sure I think everything you see under
here beside the axles is completely
custom yeah
no no store-bought parts here the
differential just seems like the real
magic of this truck it really is this
being the new one the Ford 90s this
drive shaft short drive chef custom as
well yes but it's like you know also I
like the custom lettering there you know
and this is this is very similar to I
don't know a Peter old Peterbilt you
know big 18-wheeler mhm
they just have little drive shafts in
between those and and it really is super
heavy-duty axle
Hennessey didn't do any internal work to
the block it's all add-ons replacing
external parts intake exhaust
intercooler things like that and yet
well the exhaust does a lot to do that
it sounds way better than a stock
EcoBoost you can hear yeah now I will
say you get on it right there I don't
know if you could see my bunny going
like this a little bit because there's a
little bit of a pulse on acceleration I
don't know if it's because the two axles
back there working together changes the
dynamics of the car that much or it's
just an unfortunate side effect of
having six wheels but it was noticeable
this this truck will run you about
350,000 dollars at that price point you
don't really need a reason for anything
I mean Rolls Royce doesn't need a reason
for putting babies sheepskin on the
dashboard or our 24 karat gold inserts
in the seat either of those things are
true because of the cachet of the Raptor
because it represents extreme capability
and relative luxury they a don't have
any problem building these B they don't
have any problem selling these and C
therefore grasp their business building
those Velociraptor 600 without the six
wheels is actually their biggest selling
item they do more Raptor than anything
else at Hennessey and that's reflective
of where we are as a new car market
people love trucks they love pickups and
this is just about the craziest one you
can buy in America so I understand that
there are people who think that this is
probably the dumbest way that you could
spend 350 grand
and to them I say this is America you
can do whatever you want if this is the
thing that you want to spend the
equivalents of a college education on
and do so because it means more people
will be willing to take on and create
and bring to life projects like this you
know it's almost too perfect that here
we are just outside of Houston not too
far away from NASA's Johnson Space
Center
President Kennedy wanted to put a man on
the moon by the end of the decade and
that spirit of innovation of pioneering
that is alive and well in this truck
you might even say it's got the right
stuff
you
Ford F-150 Raptor and Ram Power Wagon — 2019 Off-Road Truck Review
Edmunds:
[MUSIC PLAYING]
CARLOS LAGO: If you've
got $60,000 to spend--
DAN EDMUNDS: Or more.
CARLOS LAGO: --on your next
full-size off-road pickup
truck, you're going to end
up with one of these two.
DAN EDMUNDS: That's right, the
Ford Raptor and the Ram Power
Wagon represent the
apex of what these truck
makers bring to the table.
CARLOS LAGO: And in
this video through a mix
of low-speed driving
and high-speed driving
on varied terrain
we're going to show you
what these trucks excel at and
what they're not so suited for,
and we've got the
perfect weather to do it.
DAN EDMUNDS: Or we will as
soon as this storm moves out.
We'll have no dust, a little
bit of mud, maybe a lot.
CARLOS LAGO: Look at us
sensitive Californians.
Anyway, before we
get started, make
sure to hit Subscribe
and visit Edmunds.com
to find your perfect truck.
Though these trucks
cost about the same,
they're built for two very
different off-road goals.
That means we have to
think of this video
not like a traditional
comparison but rather two
reviews in one.
Based on the F-150, the
current version of the Raptor
has been around for a few years.
Though it has a smaller
engine than the Power Wagon,
the Raptor's twin-turbo 3 and
1/2 liter V6 packs more oomph.
Not only that, the
extra two gears
in its 10-speed
automatic transmission
give that output
more chances to work.
It rides on 35-inch tires
but has slightly less ground
clearance than the Power Wagon.
Where the Ram gets its approach
angle from standing tall,
the Raptor's comes from the
construction of its front end.
It's meant to clear
berms and sand dunes.
The interior features big
controls that are well
labeled and logically placed.
Knobs are large
and easy to reach.
One of the best
interior design features
are the puddle shifters.
They work as they
would on any sports car
because they allow good
hand placement on the wheel
and also good control
of the transmission.
It truly reflects the
sport-forward design philosophy
of this truck.
DAN EDMUNDS: The new Power
Wagon is, at its heart,
a Ram 2500 crew-cab
truck with the same V8
and eight-speed automatic you'll
find elsewhere in the lineup.
What's special here is
its off-road suspension
still delivers great towing
and payload capabilities,
and then it's got this
factory-installed winch,
something no other truck offers.
All these features add
up to an off-road truck
that's ready to work.
The Power Wagon's tall ride
height and its 33-inch tires
give it plenty of clearance and
strong approach and departure
angles, so there's no
worry about dragging
a bumper on an incline.
Inside, we get a lot of
the redesigned interior
features that we
love in the Ram 1500.
It has this beautiful
dash, great switches,
and an impressively
clear center display,
but they didn't
upgrade everything.
First of all, this cab isn't
as large as a 1500's crew cab.
They also didn't bring over
its new steering wheel.
This old-school design
doesn't telescope,
and the buttons
aren't nearly as nice.
It has these inconveniently
placed gear-select buttons
that are designed for
towing, which is nice.
When you're going
up a grade, you'll
want to limit your gears.
But these finicky
buttons are a pain.
I'd rather have shift paddles.
You ready to do this?
CARLOS LAGO: Let's rock.
Well, now we're heading
out to Randsburg.
We're taking some of
these muddy, dirty roads.
The Raptor has a mission
statement that's near
and dear to my heart,
and that is speed.
Let's just dig into
it a little bit.
Let's thread the
needle through here.
[LAUGHS] What happened there?
DAN EDMUNDS: I couldn't
find the wipers fast enough.
CARLOS LAGO: And what I
just love about this truck
is that you can go this
fast on road this rough
and really have a good time.
This is what the truck is
for, and it's so good at that.
The suspension setup is fairly
traditional, leaf springs
in the rear, though you
have internal bypass Fox
Shox at all four corners.
Rears are remote
reservoir, and those
are going to really
help with the durability
that the shocks need with
doing constant whoops
and constant washboard.
That jittering really
does a number on them.
Now you only have a locking
rear diff, not in the front.
It's electronically
controlled, as are the shocks,
as is the four-wheel
drive system.
And you can control a lot of
those settings through drive
modes down here.
Right now I have it parked
in the Baja setting,
and it gives me four high.
And it gives me a lot of control
and traction over this road.
Dan, how are you
doing back there?
DAN EDMUNDS: Loving it.
This V8 sounds awesome.
[LAUGHTER]
CARLOS LAGO: Big one.
Big one.
Did I hear you right that
the collision mitigation
is going off?
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah, you
threw up a wall of water,
and the collision-avoidance
system detected it and thought
it was a car something.
CARLOS LAGO: That's great.
DAN EDMUNDS: The Ram Power Wagon
is a 3/4-ton truck with a 6
and 1/2 foot bed and a crew cab,
which makes it a really good
work truck.
It's got a solid axle in
back with coil springs,
which is a Ram exclusive.
It's also got a
solid axle upfront,
and it's got an
extra articulation
link and a disconnecting
stabilizer bar,
which allows the front axle
to really flex in rough going.
It's also got front and
rear locking differentials.
You can think of it as a
3/4-ton-truck version of a Jeep
Wrangler Rubicon.
The Power Wagon's
beefy suspension
is controlled by
Bilstein monotube shocks.
And on this road,
it feels stiff,
but it also feels in control.
You able to keep up?
CARLOS LAGO: No problem.
I may be down a few cylinders,
but I think I got more power.
[ENGINE REVVING]
[LAUGHTER]
DAN EDMUNDS: Here's another
one if that wasn't enough.
Hang on there.
Hang on.
CARLOS LAGO: Yee-ha.
This is the best.
Oh, here come the whoops.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
DAN EDMUNDS: Oh!
Ow.
CARLOS LAGO: That was painful.
DAN EDMUNDS: Oh man,
this is something else.
CARLOS LAGO: Big one.
Big one.
DAN EDMUNDS: Let's
get out of here.
CARLOS LAGO: Hey, the
[INAUDIBLE] are over.
Yay!
DAN EDMUNDS: Finally.
I was getting beat up.
CARLOS LAGO: One thing this
Raptor does well, it should be
able to soak up this washboard.
I'm not so sure
about Dan back there
in the Power Wagon though.
DAN EDMUNDS: Oh, washboard
roads, my favorite-- not.
CARLOS LAGO: There's
a car wash just ahead.
I got to say, I really feel
for these shocks right now.
DAN EDMUNDS: Hey, this is
what they were born to do.
CARLOS LAGO: Oh man, the rear
end of that thing is dancing.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah, this
just [INAUDIBLE] machine.
CARLOS LAGO: Yeah, so you
have to take it up to about 60
before it disappears.
That was a deep one.
I see a lot of wide-open
space in front of us.
Do you think that locking
read diff in that thing
can let you have any fun?
DAN EDMUNDS: I'd
like to find out.
All right, and punch it.
This is big understeering.
It feels like a
donut, but I don't
think it looks like a donut.
It looks like a
croissant or something.
Stability control is coming on.
CARLOS LAGO: All right. let's
engage high-school mode.
This is what this truck
is made for right here.
Let's flick it.
Oh, I miss high school.
Truck stuff.
DAN EDMUNDS: I think that
Raptor had the edge today.
I wonder how it will do on
the trail in the morning.
CARLOS LAGO: We're here, right?
We're at this turn out here?
Well, the rain's gone.
The wind persists.
The rain also kind of
modified our plans.
At the outset we
wanted to be more
technical with our
analysis, but the rain just
decided we should have fun.
DAN EDMUNDS: And we did.
CARLOS LAGO: It was a good
time through mud, over wash.
DAN EDMUNDS: And
it never gets old.
CARLOS LAGO: At a good
clip too, let's say.
DAN EDMUNDS: At times.
CARLOS LAGO: The
rain also washed out
the trail we wanted to
take, so right now we're
looking for a new one that
is a bit more technical so
where we can show
off the articulation
and the features that sort
of separate these two trucks.
Like for example, this one has
a disconnectable front sway bar.
That one doesn't.
DAN EDMUNDS: The Ram has front
and rear locking differentials.
The Raptor is just
a rear locker.
CARLOS LAGO: And then there's
also the issue of dimensions.
This is a larger
truck except for width
where it's actually quite a
bit narrower than the Raptor.
The Raptor has a stadium
super truck like stance.
In a highly
unscientific experiment,
we lined up the Raptor
to the driver's side tire
track of the Ram,
and you can see
a quick visualization of just
how much wider the Raptor is.
Let's find a trail.
DAN EDMUNDS: All
right, let's do it.
The Power Wagon's
four-wheel-drive system
is really easy to
engage using this lever.
Once you're in four
wheel drive high,
you can lock the
rear differential
by pressing this
button here, and you
can lock the front
and rear together
by pressing the
button just above it.
You can also disconnect
the front stabilizer bar
with a touch of a button
to improve articulation
in rocky terrain
or to just improve
ride comfort on uneven
surfaces and washboard.
CARLOS LAGO: For four-wheel
drive you have this dial here,
and that gets you
from two high to four
all-wheel drive, which goes
back and forth between two
and four-wheel drive.
This truck only can
lock the rear diff,
and you do that by just tapping
the center button of that dial.
There is a trail
control system that's
kind of like a low-speed
off-road cruise control.
You turn that on by
pressing the button here
next to the stability control.
Now you do have a
trailer backup control.
Underneath that, you have
a trailer brake controller.
It's nice that the Raptor comes
with those features or offers
them, but it certainly can't
tow as much as the Power Wagon,
but nor is it trying
to do the same thing.
That's OK.
Why tow your toys to
the off-road park when
your towing vehicle is the toy?
There's just enough
space here for this truck
to fit through, just
enough, but what happens
is I don't get a lot
of room for error.
So if I'm coming
around the corner
and there's a big
rock in the center,
I've got to be very decisive
about how I tackle it.
Like this right
here, I've got to try
to squeeze between these
two, and the tread width
on this truck is just so
much wider than that Ram.
We're coming across rutted
roads that don't really
have an even thing
for us to climb up.
You have to drive the
truck straight up to it
and then hit it with a tire
and then just crawl over it,
and that can exhibit
or at least show
how the clearances
on these trucks work.
Dan, how are you feeling
back there over those rocks?
DAN EDMUNDS: You know, if I take
my time and pick a good line,
it's not a problem.
CARLOS LAGO: What do
you mean take your time?
I thought we were
supposed to be going fast.
DAN EDMUNDS: Well,
I'm doing that too,
but every once in a
while there's a rock.
There's a lot of rocks that
get exposed when the water runs
through, and they can take
out your tire in a heartbeat.
So you've got to
be really careful
that you don't clip the edge
and rip a gash in your sidewall.
Probably going to have
to hit a little bit.
No harm, no foul, right?
That's what's nice about
having a truck like this.
You've got a lot of capability.
We're not exceeding its
limits or even reaching them.
This truck is really
tall, certainly narrower
than the Raptor.
The widest point though
is these mirrors.
These mirrors are
made for towing,
and they stick way, way out.
But I can press this button
here if I have a tight squeeze
and gain myself a
foot of clearance
at least just by doing that.
Visibility is not
too bad over the hood
because Ram's signature
styling has the hood dip down
over low-mounted headlights,
and that actually increases
my sight lines when I'm
trying to see the corners
and pick my way through the
rocks like I am right now.
CARLOS LAGO: The
Raptor's visibility
is pretty strong when you're
on this flat surface like this.
These shocks are
doing a good job
of keeping this thing
composed over ruts.
This truck still
bounces around a lot,
but I'll say I've never felt
like I've had an issue trying
to control the truck.
I've just got to say too, these
seats are really comfortable.
Hey, a straightaway.
That's what I want to be doing.
I want to be hauling
through this wash.
Let's go faster, Dan.
Come on.
Let's go.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah, that
is kind of a sporty truck.
I mean, that's the difference.
This thing's built to work.
That one's built to play.
A nice little water
crossing here.
Let's see if we drag our
tails as we go through.
CARLOS LAGO: I'm worried
about that exhaust tip.
DAN EDMUNDS: You're good.
You're good.
CARLOS LAGO: Yeah.
DAN EDMUNDS: That wasn't so bad.
Something looks
interesting up ahead.
CARLOS LAGO: This could
be the technical stuff
we've been looking for.
DAN EDMUNDS: I
think you're right.
CARLOS LAGO: Yeah, this
does look pretty good.
DAN EDMUNDS:
Bringing [INAUDIBLE]..
CARLOS LAGO: Yeah, I
think just straddle
the gully a little bit.
There's a little bit of
a shelf at the bottom,
but I think if I go
slow, I can make it.
DAN EDMUNDS: You're up first.
CARLOS LAGO: OK.
DAN EDMUNDS: All right, I think
we're ready, or I'm ready.
I don't know about Carlos.
And I got to put it
in low range first.
Neutral, back to drive.
Pretty easy to
control speed here,
but I sure don't want to
drop off this ledge up here
and smack something too hard.
Slow and steady, low-low.
There's this ledge.
Ease it over.
Good.
Didn't hit anything,
or nothing hit me.
CARLOS LAGO: Piece of cake.
DAN EDMUNDS: Absolutely,
and now it's your turn.
CARLOS LAGO: All right,
let's put it in neutral.
Engage four low.
I'm actually going to use the
front-facing camera here too
to find my way down the hill.
Now's the time where my ideal
position, which is super low,
is not too ideal.
No problems.
Piece of cake.
I thought this was
supposed to be hard?
DAN EDMUNDS: Well, that
didn't look like a thing.
CARLOS LAGO: That
wasn't a thing.
DAN EDMUNDS: It wasn't a thing?
CARLOS LAGO: I used to
say in grade school, that
was a pizza cake.
DAN EDMUNDS: I know
how to make it a thing.
CARLOS LAGO: Yeah, how's that?
DAN EDMUNDS: We go back up.
We work against gravity
rather than with it.
CARLOS LAGO: All right.
I go first.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah,
that's what I was saying.
CARLOS LAGO: All right, this
was a piece of cake coming down.
Let's see about the way up.
Got it in first
gear, still four low.
So then I come up
to this ledge here.
Smooth, consistent throttle,
and a little bit of left.
Let's put the camera
facing forward too.
Why not?
Come on, you're good.
No problem.
Bigger rock there
than I thought.
That's the problem
with visibility.
Easy.
DAN EDMUNDS: All right,
now it's my turn.
Though their engines
and transmissions
couldn't be more
different, these two trucks
wind up with a similar crawl
ratio of around 51 to 1.
This super-low gearing
delivers a ton of torque
to each wheel at low speeds,
which is great for traction,
but it's even
better for control.
Hey Carlos, looking at the map,
if we keep going on this trail,
it looks like we'll
end up in a mine.
CARLOS LAGO: What really
surprised me about this truck
is we thought it was going to be
pretty different than the Ram,
and it is in a lot of ways.
But it's not like these
two aren't so dissimilar.
Like the Venn diagram overlaps
in more areas than you
would think.
This can still do a lot,
even considering its width.
It's still really capable,
and it's still a ton of fun.
DAN EDMUNDS: When we
first came out here,
we had one trail all picked
out, but the paved road
got washed out.
The weather had other ideas.
So we had to switch
it up, but that's OK.
A truck like this,
it's got the equipment
to handle anything you can throw
at it, and that's the thing.
I just like to come out
and explore and know
that my vehicle is going
to be able to cope.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
CARLOS LAGO: Well, the
weather prevented us
from doing the trail
that we wanted to do,
but we still had a good time.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah, we found some
pretty cool stuff out there.
CARLOS LAGO: And
we got to test some
of the limits of these
trucks like the articulation,
how wide they are in some areas.
DAN EDMUNDS: You
found a few rocks.
CARLOS LAGO: You know,
maybe we'll talk about that.
Tell me about the
Power Wagon now.
DAN EDMUNDS: I thought it was
going to be big and ungainly,
but it's actually a lot
more maneuverable than it
looks like it would be, and it's
got the credentials underneath.
CARLOS LAGO: The Raptor
on the other hand,
that thing's more like a
sports car of pickup trucks,
and that's been like
that for a long time.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah, it begs
to be driven wide open.
The Ram, it feels more
like a work truck.
The solid front axle
that's so great out here
just doesn't feel so
great on the freeway.
And the steering that
goes along with it,
eh, it's a little
bit [INAUDIBLE]..
CARLOS LAGO: Yeah, and then
on the Raptor's downsides,
payload's pretty low.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah.
The Ram Power Wagon,
it's still a 2500 truck,
so it can do a lot of work.
CARLOS LAGO: But overall,
these are still some super rad
trucks.
Both of these trucks are equally
capable over most terrain.
So who's the winner?
Well, that depends on the kind
of off-roading you want to do.
If you want to go
fast, really fast,
over dunes or through the
wash, the Raptor can't be beat.
If you're looking for more of
a work-oriented rig, one that
can confidently tow or crawl
through unfamiliar terrain,
then you'll find nothing
better than the Power Wagon.
Ford F-150, Ram 1500 and Chevy Silverado: Battle for Pickup Truck Supremacy | Edmunds Video
Edmunds:
[MUSIC PLAYING]
NARRATOR: This is Edmunds
exclusive three-way comparison
of America's most
popular pickups.
We'll drive them on the
road, take them to our track,
tow an airstream trailer, and
even put a quad in the bed.
After all that, we'll tell
you which one is the best.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
DAN EDMUNDS: This is the
all new Ram 1500 pickup.
We've been big fans of
the Ram for a long time
because last time around,
they added coil spring
rear suspension, which made
the ride just so supple,
and it made really
good towing stability.
This particular
example is a Laramie.
It's a nicely equipped truck,
it's not too expensive,
and from here, you can add all
sorts of interesting options.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
TRAVIS LANGNESS: And this is
the all new Chevy Silverado.
It's redesigned from the
ground up with different body
and frame materials.
It's longer, taller, and
wider than the previous model.
And what we've got here
is the LTZ trim level.
Now, this one's got
the 5.3 liter V8,
but it's also mated with
the new 8-speed automatic.
We picked it because we like it
right in the middle of Chevy's
line.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
ELANA SCHERR: The Ford F-150
is one of the top selling
vehicles in America.
It's well-known for its
lightweight aluminum
construction and a wide variety
of trim and engine options.
For our test, we have
the mid-level lariat
with a 3.5 liter V6 EcoBoost.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
DAN EDMUNDS: We're going
to put these trucks
through their paces
to see which one
is the best one you can buy.
Let's get to it.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
ELANA SCHERR: Getting
into the F-150
is more like walking
into an apartment
than it is getting into a truck.
For me, the truck is
actually almost too big.
I feel like I'm
floating around in here,
and I can't reach all
of the soft spots.
But I can reach
all of the controls
very easily with the
exception of the trailer brake
adjustment, which
makes Dan really angry.
The interior looks really
nice from a distance,
but as you get
closer, the materials
aren't as nice as they look.
They're plasticky and hard.
Two things I really
like about this truck
that I think are very unique are
the way that the doors or cut.
It gives a lot of visibility
and it also looks interesting.
I also like where the
door handles are placed.
They're tucked away in here,
and you hit them from the top
rather than pulling
them from the side.
It's pretty cool and
they're really easy to use.
Overall, I think
that the interior
is nice, but not exceptional.
It's really something that's
best viewed from far away.
I bet it looks great in photos.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
TRAVIS LANGNESS: So
this is the inside
of the all-new Silverado.
There are some small changes,
some things that are nicer.
For instance, this
touch screen is new.
It's got new graphics
that looks pretty good.
And also this giant
center console is new.
And one of the things
I like about this is it
feels very at home for a truck.
It's simple and everything
is at an arm's reach.
One of the things
I'm not a huge fan of
is how far out this dash
feels like it sticks.
Feels like it intrudes in
the cabin a little bit,
and also intrudes on this
center console space.
And also this little
bin here, there's
not much to organize it.
Your things are just
going to slide around.
For instance, if your
phone is mounted up here--
you hit a curb, it's
just going to fall over.
But basically, this is the
Silverado's new interior
and I'm a fan, but
it doesn't wow me
as much as some of the
other competitors do.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
DAN EDMUNDS: This new
Ram is really impressive,
and you see it the
moment you get inside.
One of the things I
really like about this,
and I'm surprised to
hear myself say it,
is this center
console is amazing.
All the actions here--
I mean, this is big.
You could put a couple of
purses and a laptop in here
at the same time.
You can put your drinks here.
Look at this, my
phone's plugged in,
but it snaps in there
with the cord attached.
The other thing I like
is the Uconnect system.
Now, Apple CarPlay,
Android Auto--
the 8.4 inch Uconnect and
this one both have it.
It's all really easy to use.
There's swiping, and pinch
zoom, and all of that stuff.
Another unique feature
is the sunroof.
I'm not a huge fan though,
because it's $1,300.
It's quiet when it's open, but
it does let in a lot of heat.
Overall, the Ram 1500's
interior is on another level.
The other two trucks feel
like they're catering
to their existing buyers.
This one looks like it's trying
to win over new converts,
and I think it will.
All of these trucks
are crew cabs.
Ram used to be third
place out of these three.
But this year they've
added four inches
to the wheelbase, four inches
to the length of the cabin--
they put all of it back here.
But what's really good about
the Ram is the seat back
angle is much more
pleasing, and they do this.
Ah-- the others can't
match this right now.
But also, if that
wasn't enough, we've
got a center console--
a pretty big one.
The whole center of
the seat folds down,
and there's a couple
of cup holders here.
The back seat area of the Ram
has the other ones covered.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
TRAVIS LANGNESS: One of
the main reasons people
buy full-sized trucks is so they
can carry around their toys.
We've got this 750
pound Honda Rubicon.
I'm going to load it
into all three trucks
and see how it goes.
All right, so let's open
up the Chevy power up,
power down tailgate.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah.
TRAVIS LANGNESS: Woo, fancy.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
ELANA SCHERR: Well done, Trav.
TRAVIS LANGNESS: Thank you.
So are you putting all the
ratchets in the front, Dan?
DAN EDMUNDS: I'm going to put
one on each side in the front.
And I'm going to go
for the lowest hook
down here just because
that seems to be
when I get the best angle.
TRAVIS LANGNESS: OK.
A lot of guys, if they
get this further forward,
they're going to bend it up
halfway and strap it down,
or a lot of people will
just roll with it like this.
DAN EDMUNDS: You could
buy a longer truck.
[LAUGHING]
This crew cab-- if
you get the quad cab,
you're going to
get a longer bed.
ELANA SCHERR: I never
realized that that
was what quad cab meant.
You can put a quad in it.
DAN EDMUNDS: Well,
I guess that's it.
Touche.
TRAVIS LANGNESS: All right.
Well, let's take
it out of the bed
here and put it in
the other trucks.
DAN EDMUNDS: Going to need this.
TRAVIS LANGNESS: Thank you.
Safety first.
DAN EDMUNDS: All right.
ELANA SCHERR: Well done.
All right, Dan, let's get the
quad in the back of this one.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yep.
TRAVIS LANGNESS: So it's damped,
but it's not a power tail gate.
DAN EDMUNDS: Not power,
this is just dampened.
ELANA SCHERR: Also
(GRUNTING) no step on this.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
DAN EDMUNDS: All
right, there we go.
All clear.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
ELANA SCHERR: Woo!
TRAVIS LANGNESS: That
was a little fast, man.
ELANA SCHERR: You were
right earlier, Dan.
You said this bed
was a lot shorter,
and it really is-- like, you
have almost the entire tire
out.
TRAVIS LANGNESS: These tires
are completely on the tailgate.
Which one has a better system
in the back, you think?
DAN EDMUNDS: The
Chevy's lower tie downs,
I like that a little better.
But it's also got a
slightly longer bed.
Although neither one of them
was long enough for this ramp
to fit in with the
tailgate closed
without putting it in sideways.
TRAVIS LANGNESS: Let's
take it out of the Ford
and put it in the Ram.
DAN EDMUNDS: There you go.
ELANA SCHERR: Oh, beautiful.
DAN EDMUNDS: Like butter.
ELANA SCHERR: Show
off for me, Dan.
(SURPRISED) What?
Magic.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah, right?
If I had my hands
full from Home Depot,
I wouldn't have to
put anything down.
ELANA SCHERR: Yeah, but I
still don't have a step.
At least I have a little
handhold on this one.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
DAN EDMUNDS: We're good.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
ELANA SCHERR: Nice!
DAN EDMUNDS: All right,
that was a little better.
You only got a
little bit of air.
TRAVIS LANGNESS: The tie downs--
how well would you compare them
to Ford?
DAN EDMUNDS: Well, the
thing about the tie downs
is they're nice and
low, so I like that.
And they're really big.
TRAVIS LANGNESS: Yeah.
Those are much larger than--
DAN EDMUNDS: Even the Chevy's
TRAVIS LANGNESS: --Ford
ones, especially in the rear.
And this is sitting almost
completely on the tailgate,
right?
ELANA SCHERR: I think
it's right in between.
I think the Chevy
had the most room,
and the Ford was the shortest.
TRAVIS LANGNESS: Well, let's
take the quad out of the back
here and move on
to the next test.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
ELANA SCHERR: Expert
level unlocked.
[LAUGHING]
So we successfully loaded
the quad in all three trucks.
Any of them would work.
Do you guys feel like there was
one that was a clear winner?
TRAVIS LANGNESS: Yeah.
I know it's the truck I
brought, but I like the Chevy.
The multiple tie
downs, and the fact
that you had that side-step on
the tailgate to get in and out.
I felt like that
made it the easiest.
ELANA SCHERR: I
definitely liked the step.
What about you, Dan?
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah, I agree.
But I do like the Ram's hooks
because they're really low
and they're really big.
I was able to put two
straps on them with ease.
So, not bad, but yeah, the
Chevy's a little better.
ELANA SCHERR: Sounds like
the Chevy wins this one.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
To do a full-on tow test
on any one of these trucks
would take the whole episode.
But we wanted to illustrate
some of the tow tech
and how easy it is to use.
To do that, we've got
this Airstream 25FB--
it's the Flying Cloud.
And it's about 25 feet
long, about 6,500 pounds,
and it'll be great to showcase
what these trucks can do.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[BEEPING]
DAN EDMUNDS: I wonder
where Travis and Elana are?
They're leaving me to
do all the hard work.
Want a soda back there?
ELANA SCHERR: (GROGGILY) Wha?
[MUSIC PLAYING]
DAN EDMUNDS: Good to go.
The Ford works pretty well.
The problem I found
there is they've
got this Pro Trailer
Backup Assist
system that they talk
about, which sounds great,
but it's theoretical because I
can't use it on this trailer.
This sticker is supposed to
go somewhere in this area.
And you can see the propane
tanks are in the way,
so I can't install this
on the trailer, which
means I can't use Pro
Trailer Backup Assist.
The Silverado, it's
got a lot of power,
but the camera
wasn't my favorite.
To me, the Ram is
golden because it's
got a much better camera
that's easier to use.
Time to roll.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
We then hit the highway and
headed for the nearest hill.
All three were able to pull
it up the grade easily,
but the F-150 felt more
willing, while the Ram
was the most stable in
corners and cross winds.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
ELANA SCHERR: Well, the
F-150, or the F-series trucks,
are the best selling
trucks, right.
We talked about that.
And I can see why
people like them.
It's a really predictable
truck, it does everything
that you need it to
do, it's quite quick.
They have a ton of
different options
for engines and interiors, so
you can find one that you like.
The engine in this truck
it is never working hard,
which is not something I
normally say about turbo V6s.
Even if they have
a lot of power,
you're way on the throttle
to make that happen.
That is not how I feel here.
I feel like you can use just a
very small throttle application
and be right up
to cruising speed.
There's a little bit of
delay-- a little lag, mostly
if you surprise it, and that
might be in the transmission.
DAN EDMUNDS: Now, that
10-speed here is really clever.
I mean, you don't know that it
has 10 gears to choose from,
because it's really nice
at picking the right gear
at the right time.
So you don't feel like it's
shifting all over the place.
So this is a really
nicely sorted 10-speed.
ELANA SCHERR: This is an
extremely comfortable truck.
You get a little bit of
road feel, but not a lot.
In fact, I think Chevrolet
was a little more road feel,
and definitely more road noise.
One of the things that really
stood out to me in this truck
is how quiet it is in the cab.
I think it's a
good looking truck,
and they also did a pretty
nice redesign on the nose.
And so, it's very striking.
The lights in the grill are
integrated really beautifully,
and there's a lot
of small details
that you'll appreciate if you
spend a lot of time looking
at the truck.
DAN EDMUNDS: They've got
these huge mirrors, though.
They're a little too huge.
ELANA SCHERR: Yeah,
the mirrors are ugly,
and I already hit
a bush with them,
and not even on a small street.
If you put this truck
against the Silverado
and asked me which one was
more recently redesigned,
I would think this
was the newer truck
and that was the older one.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah.
ELANA SCHERR: I am
a little bit proud
that the truck
that I brought has
the best numbers at
the track, and it also
has the highest torque.
So it's a 375 horse, but
it is-- you ready for this?
470 torque.
That has all the
torques, and I win.
TRAVIS LANGNESS: [LAUGHING]
It's all the torques.
DAN EDMUNDS: Wow, you do win.
TRAVIS LANGNESS: That has
a lot to do with the fact
that this one is turbocharged
while the other trucks are
naturally aspirated.
And one of the
other things that's
interesting about the track
performance in these trucks
is all of them stopped from 60
to zero in our panic braking
test within feet of each other.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah,
that's pretty good.
TRAVIS LANGNESS: That's
pretty remarkable.
DAN EDMUNDS: Those numbers were
about five or six feet better
than they were the last
time these trucks were new.
So there's been
improvement over time.
And that's good to see
because trucks have always had
the longest stopping distances.
And they still do, but
now, the gap isn't so big.
ELANA SCHERR: Yeah.
I feel like all the
manufacturers are really
recognizing that
people use trucks
for a lot of different reasons.
I mean, towing
toys, towing horses,
but also just as daily drivers.
And they're really
working on making
them safer, and more
comfortable, and more
pleasurable to drive.
So that's nice.
It's good to know that the
audience is being heard.
TRAVIS LANGNESS: I
know this sounds weird,
but the Ford is the most
fun to drive for me.
The handling and the steering,
for me, are the best.
But those may not be things
that people that want a track
are concerned with.
DAN EDMUNDS: I like
the Ford's powertrain--
it's really powerful.
And the 10-speed
automatic is just
so nicely calibrated when you're
towing, when you're not towing.
I really like that.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
ELANA SCHERR: Travis,
you've spent the most time
of any of us in this truck.
But to me, just getting in
it, it doesn't look new.
TRAVIS LANGNESS:
That's the impression
I not only got when I first
saw the truck, but after 1,400
miles in the truck from
Wyoming to Los Angeles.
It doesn't feel
completely redesigned.
And also, under the
hood it feels the same.
So the 5.3 liter V8 gets a
new fuel management system.
And now, it's paired to the
8-speed automatic instead
of the 6-speed, which has
a little bit faster shifts
and it's a little
quieter on the highway.
I like that it
doesn't rev as high.
ELANA SCHERR: Dan is going to
hate me for this because there
is no scientific
way to measure it,
but Travis how do
you feel the truck
jealousy is on this truck?
And you know what
I'm talking about.
It's like, who's looking at it?
TRAVIS LANGNESS: I do.
I do.
This one I feel
like is particularly
polarizing-- just the new
Chevy look in general.
It's got a lot of
chrome on the front end.
Some people love it,
some people hate it.
From the back on the
sides, some people
can't really tell
the difference.
And then, of course, the
power tailgate in the back.
You load all your stuff
and you press the button,
and they've got to push it up.
There's a little bit
of truck jealousy
there, just a small amount.
ELANA SCHERR: You
nailed it when you said
the front end is polarizing.
I mean, it's got these
weird origami folds,
and like slots and tabs,
which I guess are for aero,
but they are unusual looking.
DAN EDMUNDS: I mean, I
like the new Silverado,
but it doesn't feel like
a brand new Silverado.
It feels very evolutionary,
not revolutionary.
ELANA SCHERR: I'd
be happy to drive it
but I don't want to look at it.
[LAUGHING]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
One of the things that I noticed
about the Ram when I got in it
was that the steering
felt a little heavier,
but in a good way.
DAN EDMUNDS: Yeah, it
has really good feedback.
You really know which way the
tires are pointed at all times.
You get a really good
sense of straight
ahead when you're
driving straight.
You don't have to make
a lot of corrections,
you don't have to
think about it.
It goes where you want to go.
And in corners it feels nice,
when driving straight it
feels nice.
This is the best steering
of the bunch by far.
Whatever they've done,
it works, and I like it.
The ride comfort
is nicely damped.
It's quiet, there isn't
a lot of road noise.
The engine makes
a noise you like
to hear when you lay into it.
But when you just
cruise, it just
fades into the
background-- there's not
a lot of wind noise.
This thing is
really nice riding.
I mean, what you
see is what you get.
This truck has coil
spring suspension
which is really good.
There's less friction
when it hits a bump.
The other thing I
really like, the fenders
are cut down real tight
to the headlights,
and it's really easy to see
the corners of the truck.
It feels like I
could see it right
in front of it,
which is something I
can't say for the other trucks.
ELANA SCHERR: Is
this the biggest
engine you can get in a Ram?
DAN EDMUNDS: It is.
The 507 HEMI is the
top of the range.
There's two versions
of it, though.
They both make it
395 horsepower,
which is more than
the other to trucks,
and 410 pound feet of torque.
The 507 HEMI that we have here
does not have the new eTorque
system-- that's coming soon.
And that system is a mild
hybrid system that basically
improves fuel economy.
This one is good
for 17 MPG combined,
but the eTorque version will
be good for 19 MPG combined,
which is the same
as the 3.5 EcoBoost.
This is the 8-speed that
Ram introduced in 2014
in the last generation
truck about halfway through.
And we really liked it then
when it first came out.
We had a long-term EcoDiesel
with that transmission,
and it was perfect.
ELANA SCHERR: I can easily
imagine the Ram engineers
sitting together in a
room and really saying
what do truck buyers
want, what do they need,
and how do we give it
to them, because that's
what this truck feels like.
DAN EDMUNDS: To me, the Ram
is the best truck to drive.
I really like the steering,
the 8-speed transmission
does everything I need it to do.
There's plenty of power, and the
link coil suspension not only
rides nice, it's also really
stable when you're towing.
TRAVIS LANGNESS: It's definitely
a classy look that I enjoy,
not only parked in my driveway,
but driving it on the highway.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
DAN EDMUNDS: All three of
these are solid trucks,
and fans of each brand
won't have any trouble
if they buy a new one.
But we've got to pick a winner.
TRAVIS LANGNESS: In third place,
we had the Chevy Silverado.
It's completely redesigned
and more capable than ever.
But in our tests,
it doesn't have
quite what it takes to edge
out the Ford and the Ram.
ELANA SCHERR: We really
liked all three trucks.
But from the very
beginning one stood out,
and it wasn't the Ford.
The F-150 might be the number
one selling truck in America,
but it turned out
number two in our test.
DAN EDMUNDS: That leaves the Ram
1500 as the winner of our test.
It's Edmunds top-rated truck.
The others may satisfy
brand loyalists,
but this one could
win some converts.
Well, that was fun.
TRAVIS LANGNESS: I
had a great time.
We got to do it again,
but first, dinner.
GROUP: Tacos.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
DAN EDMUNDS: For more
videos like this,
be sure to subscribe
to our YouTube channel.
And check us out on
Instagram and Facebook.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
These Are the Trucks People Love to Hate | WheelHouse
Donut Media:
(energetic percussive music)
- Like America herself,
the pickup truck has become
the melting pot of the automotive world.
(engine roaring)
Everyone has their own idea
of what the pickup should be,
but some people like to hate on
the scenes they're not part of.
And that bugs the sh
(missing audio) out of me.
So, today I wanna answer the question:
What makes a truck
a truck?
Today we're going to look
at the some of the most
misunderstood trucks on the road today.
First up is the mini truck.
Back in the 80's and 90's,
when the compact pickup
truck was still a thing,
(funky electronic music)
bed-dancing trucks emerged
from the low rider scene.
Like their low rider counterparts,
these trucks borrowed
hydraulic actuators that were installed
under a detached truck bed
and operated with a remote controller
the size of a DJ Hero board
that they used to make
these custom trucks dance.
Chevy S10's, Mazda B2200's, Datsun 720's,
they were all fitted up
with tilt-bed technology.
Some people will say that
this old-school trend
doesn't make sense.
I mean, what's the point?
Take the functionality out of a truck bed,
just so you can make the bed dance?
But guess what?
That's exactly the reason
I love these things.
This is America, man!
("Star-Spangled Banner" plays)
Live free, die young,
(eagle screeching)
do whatever the heck you want
with your car.
Don't tell people what
to do with their truck.
Anyway, moving on.
(eagle screeches)
Going from low to high is a
truck that shares some of the
so-called "lack of
functionality" with mini trucks.
This is the show truck.
(smooth hip-hop music)
These trucks are purpose-built showpieces
meant to make you ooh
and aah as they roll by.
I mean, look at this bed.
It's so high up, it's
completely impractical.
The owner even says he never
puts anything back here.
But I think that's cool.
Very punk rock.
SEMA show trucks
are some of the most
tricked out vehicles around.
Custom paint job,
intricate lighting setups,
modified engines, and, yes,
really, really big wheels,
really tall suspension.
Driving through the mud in rough terrain
isn't what this truck was designed for.
It was made to show off
and get your attention.
Which it does.
It's also very good at blinding you,
if you're driving in front of it, but
that's another story.
(smooth hip-hop music)
Sure, you might think it's
too masculine, too machismo.
After all, what's the point
of making a truck look off-road-ready
if the wheels have three
coats of polish on them?
But again, that's not the point.
The point is the passion and work
that the owners put into their cars.
You don't have to like it,
but I love the craftsmanship
that goes into these things.
Both mini trucks and so-called
"bro dozers" like this one
might be looked down on
by certain people, but
that doesn't really matter.
(laughs) Because
once you get up here,
(clunk)
you feel good.
Jacking up a truck and
throwing mud tires on it
was initially used out of necessity.
The boggy swamps and muddy
country roads of the South
stranded drivers more
often than they'd like.
And because of this, the
first monster truck was born.
You might've heard of it.
(engine roars)
Bigfoot.
The big blue Ford that now lives
in the Smithsonian.
Bob Chandler, the creator of Bigfoot,
owned a 4x4 business in the 70's,
and used it initially to
advertise his business.
Bigfoot started out as a '74 Ford F-250
that Bobby threw a camping
shell on the back of,
that he used for weekend
trips with his old lady.
He then got a knack for
customizing his truck,
and started off by throwing
bigger tires on it.
He went as big as he can go
until he started to break axles,
so naturally, he threw bigger axles on it.
But with bigger tires and bigger axles,
you need a bigger engine
to spin those tires,
and his obsession of creating
the biggest and baddest
car-smashing truck in the world began.
After Chandler videotaped himself
smashing two cars in
the middle of a field,
he was approached by a motorsport promoter
to reenact the stunt in front of a crowd.
And the rest is history.
- [Announcer] (shouts)
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!
- This historic truck not only spawned
the current-day monster truck scene,
but it also popularized mud bogging.
Lifted trucks with high horsepower motors
race through man-made mud pits,
and if they make it through,
the truck with the quickest time wins.
But making it to the end of these mud bogs
was difficult for even
the most powerful trucks.
If you've never been to a mud bog race,
put it on your bucket list.
It might look "simple,"
but you gotta see it for yourself, really.
It's loud, it's dirty,
and it's a staple of the South.
(engine barks and stalls)
(crowd cheers)
I once saw a guy mud
bog a Subaru Forrester
with a straight pipe
exhaust, it was awesome.
They had to pull them out
with a deuce-n-a-half,
but that was a really awesome day.
Anyway,
(suspenseful string music)
back in November of 1991, Congress enacted
a whopping 10 percent luxury surcharge tax
on cars over $30,000.
But that luxury tax
didn't apply to trucks.
So, car manufacturers
took advantage of this
and started making luxury trucks.
One of the first real
high-end luxury trucks
that was incredibly
popular in the early 2000's
was the Cadillac Escalade EXT.
With an MSRP of $49,000, it was
crazy expensive for a truck.
And it didn't even have a full-size bed.
They're also very ugly.
For comparison, the
standard top-of-the-line
Ford F-150 Lariat was $31,000.
But what might be more surprising
is that people bought them, a lot of them.
And they continue to buy
luxury trucks to this day.
You can easily walk into any major dealer
and find a decked out truck
that's close to a hundred grand.
People might say that these trucks
are more on the passenger
car side of things
than the trucks of yesteryear,
because you can daily them
and they're comfortable.
But I say, look how many different roles
one vehicle can play.
They can be comfortable,
they can have dope entertainment systems,
but you can also tow a house
and haul anything you want with them.
And that's why people don't
hesitate to spend so much.
The high-end truck we have today
might not fit perfectly into that
classic high-end truck
category you think of
when you imagine a luxury truck.
But it is the most bad
ass factory off-roader
the world has ever seen.
It comes in ice blue, my
favorite Gatorade flavor,
and it's named after my favorite dinosaur.
This
is the Ford Brachiosaurus.
I'm k,
Ford Raptor (grunts mildly) you
know it's the Raptor, c'mon.
(smooth electronic music)
You get a twin turbocharged,
3.5-liter, V6 EcoBoost
squeezing out 450 horsepower
and 510 foot pounds of torque.
You get Fox Live Valve shocks,
Recaro front seats,
Terrain Management System,
aluminum alloy body,
and a ton of other fancy features
that don't come on the
bare-bones XL F-150.
It's the ultimate flex truck.
In LA, I've seen more of these Raptors
waiting in elementary school pickup lines
than I have seen with actual mud on them.
(slurps unduly loudly)
It's like the pickup truck
equivalent of owning a
Lamborghini or a Ferrari.
(smooth electronic music)
This truck is capable of
some truly insane things.
And most drivers will
never find those limits.
But that's okay.
Because they're
bought it.
So they're entitled to
drive it how they want to.
It's their truck!
(motor snarls)
(jazzy electronic music)
In 1958, Datsun started
exporting their 220 series,
becoming the first Japanese truck
to hit the market in the USA.
It took some time for the
Japanese compact trucks
to earn the respect
of classic American
full-size truck owners,
who doubted a tiny
Japanese machine could do
what they wanted.
But the practicality and quality
of these Japanese imports
finally won them over.
The evolution of trucks has gone
from functional to fun to fancy,
but the heart of the pickup truck
is still the humble work truck,
like this one.
(smooth hip-hop music)
You can ask anyone who has a truck now,
and chances are, their first ride
was a good old-fashioned, beat
up, hand-me-down pickup truck
(taps door) just like this one.
Trucks like these aren't flash.
They don't have a rear
swing-arm suspension
with 12 inches of travel.
There's no full-length moon
roof or heated and cooled seats.
It doesn't have rich, castano leather.
The bed doesn't dance around
like it's a 90's break-dancer
on a piece of cardboard on the sidewalk.
But you can count on
it to get the job done.
It's the simplest, purest,
most awesome truck.
This truck belongs to
our good buddy, Gabe.
And at one time, this
Toyota would be scoffed at
by any truck purist.
It's small, has a four-cylinder motor,
and it's two-wheel drive.
What's the point of a
two-wheel drive truck?
I love trucks like these
because they don't have
all the bells and whistles.
They're the purest distillation
of what a pickup should be.
They just work.
(smooth hip-hop music)
America the beautiful.
Home of the free,
land of the truck.
It started out as a vehicle
for people to easily
tote stuff around.
And it's transformed into
the ultimate bed-dancing,
low-riding, mud-crawling,
car-smashing, off-roading,
highway-cruising, grocery-getting vehicle
that brings all sorts of folks together.
There's no wrong way to be a truck.
Just like there's no wrong way
to be an American.
("Star-Spangled Banner" plays)
(eagle screeches)
I'd like to thank Omar at SoCal Auto Paint
for bringin' out his enormous show truck.
That thing is awesome.
I'd like to thank Gabe for
letting us borrow his work truck.
And I'd like to thank Ford
for givin' us that Raptor for a few days.
That was really fun.
'Ey, this episode of Wheelhouse
is brought to you by Shine Armor.
Shine Armor is a
ceramics-infused waterless wash.
That's a three-in-one compound
- Ew!
- That washes, shines, and coats your car
to protect it.
(shimmery spell chimes)
So you don't need a hose
to wash your car anymore,
unless it's super muddy.
Things splash on there
and just drip right off,
doesn't leave any residue.
I live in an apartment,
I don't have a hose hook up in my place.
Shine Armor lets you just
do it in your driveway
with a bottle of water
for your damp cloth.
Click the link in the description.
Get yourself some Shine Armor.
I was super surprised at how
well it worked, honestly.
Can't wait to wash my car again.
Thanks, Shine Armor.
What's your favorite kind of truck?
Let me know in the comments.
I really hope I've kinda
helped you change your
mind on some trucks.
Everyone has their own taste,
and I think they're all valid.
Follow me on Instagram @nolanjsykes.
Follow Donut @donutmedia.
Check out this episode of Up To Speed.
Check out this episode of Wheelhouse.
Ah, I really appreciate you.
Thanks for watchin'.
Be nice, I'll see ya next time.
Monster Energy: Ballistic BJ Baldwin Recoil 2 - Unleashed in Ensenada, Mexico
Monster Energy:
- Remember the bet!
You only got 20 minutes!
I'll see you on the beach.
- Bye BJ!
(Unleashed in Ensenada)
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